Trademark violator heavily fined

By D.G.Sugathapala   

A person who pleaded guilty to misusing the trademark and the trade name of a Beedi manufacturing company and manufactured Beedi using that name, was fined Rs.100,000 and ordered to pay Rs.100,000 as compensation to the company.   

He was sentenced to six month imprisonment on each count in default of the fine and the compensation. The suspect Akulahena Durage Palitha was a resident of Theppudeniya in Akuressa. He was arrested and produced in court by the Galle police during investigations into a complaint received from the Beedi 
manufacturing company.  

Police told court that the suspect was in possession of 240,000 fake Beedies when the police arrested him at the Pinnaduwa exit in the Southern Expressway. They stated that the trade value of the stock of fake Beedi could have been Rs. 1.8 million.  

SI Udayakanda produced the suspect and made submissions for the State on the instructions of OIC Crime Investigation Branch, Galle Police CI A.S.L.Narangoda while Attorney-at-Law Rajindra Narangoda watched the interests of the Beedi manufacturing company.